Hassle-free Tours - Marshland

My Grandma took me on the Lord of The Rings tour on Wednesday the 23rd October. We had an excellent Guide and we both had a wonderful time, Grandma even managed the climb up Mount Sunday. However we were both really disappointed by the lunch; it was advertised as a 'champagne lunch' It consisted of a small 'Subway', a very small caramel slice, juice and champagne, tea and coffee. First, the open, filled roll is not the easiest thing to eat and second, it fell far short of expectations for a champagne lunch. I know for a fact that the winners of the Press Draw were treated to a much more suitable lunch - not the best way to get us to recommend the trip.......

Overpriced. However, a bloody good day. Hammond was my tour guide, and he was knowledgeable, funny and made me look ok in photos. If you can get past the cost, ya pretty much garaunteed a good day. Hammond has been part of the film industry for many years, and that only proved to add a whole new element. He had many little inside facts that enriched the tour. His rapport with not only the film industry but with Peter Jackson also, made the whole tour seem more exclusive. Scenery was stunning, and the gravity of being at such an iconic site was unforgettable. Request Hammond. He is good.

We had an amazing tour to Kaikoura with Pat. He is a great guide and provided us with interesting facts on our drive up the cost. In Kaikoura, unfortunately, the sea was too rough so that the boat trip had to be cancelled. But no worries! Pat got us on a Wings over whales tour instead, without surcharge. Some of our group took the plane and we two were the lucky ones to join the heli tour. Such an amazing experience! We saw one whale and lots of dolphins. And the flight itself was exciting. Thanks, Pat!

My wife and I took their double-decker tour bus tour all around Christchurch. The stops, the destinations, and the views were unbeatable. The guides and drivers were very friendly and helpful and it allows you freedom but also the structure to see the city quickly and with an open-roof view. Highly recommend!

We had a great day with Maria on the Edoras tour. Sure you can drive there yourself and hike up but it was much more fun with Hassle Free: LoTR videos & facts in the bus, photos with replica swords, off road 4WD section with river crossing and lunch. Well worth it - one of our best days out in NZ.

The Hassle Free team is warm, friendly, professional and gives amazing value for money. Vic and Tanya in the office worked incredibly hard helping us book all of our different tours; the LOTR guides Haika and Mike were amazing; our City Bus tour guide Carl was hilarious; and Rob R., our guide for the High Country tour, came away feeling like a part of the family. I cannot say enough good things about this team. Back in 2012, my sister and I went on the LOTR Edoras Tour and the City Tour when we visited Christchurch for the first time and had an amazing time. When my parents decided they wanted to visit Christchurch this year, I immediately knew that we wanted to book with Hassle Free, and they totally came through for us again! This time around, my parents went on the LOTR Tour with Haika and Mike, who were incredibly knowledgeable of the area and the behind-the-scenes facts about LOTR. The next day we also hopped on the three-hour City Bus Tour with Carl, who is one of the funniest guides you'll have the pleasure of meeting. However, one of the coolest things we did on this trip was book Hassle Free's High Country charter tour with Rob R. Seeing the rivers, valleys, and mountains from views that are usually inaccessible via public roads was incredible. Rob made breathtaking vistas reachable through his expert driving and navigating capabilities. Despite some bad weather and rough conditions due to flooding, he managed to safely traverse some incredibly diverse and rugged topography successfully. With Rob’s background in academia and agriculture, his knowledge of NZ's environment and agri industry is unparalleled. While using the four-wheel drive, he would chat about all the different aspects of the countryside while fording streams, rivers, rocky outcrops, sides of mountains, and showing us parts of NZ that a normal tour would never have seen. The stations that Hassle Free Tours works with are superb, especially Glenfalloch Station where we stayed the night. Glenfalloch has great facilities, remarkable views, and put on a massive five-star breakfast, lunch and dinner for us – the food was so good! With our confidence in Rob, we were able to go forward, facing anything we encountered, knowing that we wouldn’t turn back. Rob not only provided a memorable and once in a lifetime tour, but in the end, he felt like a friend and extended part of the family. We also developed an unshakeable confidence in Rob that between his skills, talents, and a roll of duct tape, we could overcome anything :) If you're looking to travel to Christchurch and the greater Canterbury region in New Zealand, you cannot find a better tour company than Hassle Free Tours.

I booked the Edoras Tour activity via one of their partner website "Lordoftheringstours". There was a communication problem concerning the meal, and the indications were not transmitted between the two companies. But the guide corrected that the same day and bought me another sandwitch. The day was beautiful and the scenery perfect. We were a small group of 8 people, it was friendly. There were many videos on the bus. On Mount Sunday, we could take a picture with 4 replicas of weapons (a pity that there was no the stick of Gandalf as in the pictures of the website). Our guide was friendly and interesting. The day was very good. But I was just disappointed at the end of the tour when I asked to buy products of Edoras (as mentioned in the both sites : "Selection of merchandise available for purchase" on hasslefreetours; "Unique Edoras merchandise only available through us" on lordoftheringstours). The guide informed me that it was not possible since some years. It might be good to update your website because I had imagined leaving this day with a t-shirt of the Rohan and I was disappointed... But the day was very good on the whole !

Had an absolutely amazing experience with the "Alpine Safari Tour" Admittedly, booking from the website was a little complicated, but as soon as I jumped on the phone, the process was as smooth as can be. The office ladies were very helpful and ensured our booking went through. So after a hotel pick-up, the bus was off, heading in to the mighty southern alps. With insightful commentary on the way. Our your guide Hiker was very passionate about native flora and had an In depth source of knowledge of the farming practices seen along the route. Arriving in the foothills, we embarked upon a 4x4 expedition through the farm lands, getting a close up view of lands not normally seen by tourists. Seeing sheep, cattle, heffas and various crops, we were informed about both the history of the land and practices used currently. Finishing our off roading, we then boarded a jet boat, piloted by the very hilarious Greg. A 60 minute long thrill ride into the canyons of the river. With many 360 degree turns, cooling us off on the warm day and experiencing a special view of the gorge and railway bridges. With commentary on the way, Greg took us close to rocks and banks 25 km up river. On arriving back at the base, we were then treated to a NZ lunch. The chance to relax, watch sheep shearing and have a bite to eat was needed, as we dried out a bit. A tasty lunch set us in the right mood for the next coach ride. The bus took us up, into the southern alps, highlighting scenery, history and modern land uses along the way. The 90 minute trek was soothing, taking in the stunning views. Arriving into Arthur's Pass slightly early, we all decided to view the visitor information centre with 3D pictogram of the South island. The TransAlpine Railway train arrived right on schedule, returning from the long trip to Greymouth. A simple boarding process, and we were on our way. The views from the train heading back to Christchurch were absolutely stunning. Some slight precipitation from the alps cleared upon our recent leaving some breath taking scenery, including the previously adventures gorge. With both a cafe cart and outdoor viewing car, it was easy to relax on the train with a reasonably priced beverage. Arriving back into Christchurch, Hiker was standing on the platform, waving us in. A short 5 minute drive back to the hotel and we were done for the day, albeit slightly wrecked. I would highly recommend the tour. It was the most inclusive and best value tour we have had yet in NZ. It is paced for any age, as long as they can sit in their own seat and won't fall off the Jet Boat. 5 stars from me!!